Environment and Energy Conclave 2008 22nd and 23rd August 2008, ITC Sonar, Kolkata For the first time ever, an Energy Conclave was presented by the Bengal Maximum Impact Areas and Implications; Prevailing Deal Structures Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Eastern Region. Held over in Carbon Finance and Focus Carbon - Financing Industrial Growth two days (22nd and 23rd August 2008) at the ITC Sonar, Kolkata, the (Case Studies). The speakers included Senior Executives from PwC, Conclave discussed the avenues of addressing climate change, policy Ernst & Young, CESC and ITC Limited. The speakers in this session measures, increasing efficiency of energy consumption, financing new mainly focused on Climate Change, Climate Change Risks, Carbon projects through the CDM route, benefits of energy management and Footprints, Carbon Markets, Carbon Transactions, Carbon Finance, etc. energy audit in industries, the new options in energy, new technologies in mining, renewables, etc. Senior Government functionaries (Centre The next session focused on Power - Creating Opportunities for and State), well-known industry experts and consultants addressed Sustainable Industrial Growth and themes like Energy Management the event. and Energy Audit in Industry in the Age of Energy Conservation, Energy Efficiency in Transmission and Distribution System, Managing Energy Indeed, the event was presented on the scale of a Summit and had at Integrated Steel Plants, Moving Markets for Energy Efficiency were participation from leading personalities from Government, Industry, covered. Mr. S. K. Dasgupta, Vice Chairman-Technical, Development Academia, and NGOs. It was, quite literally, a melting point of thoughts, Consultants Private Limited chaired the session. Noted personalities ideas and experiences. from Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India; Senior Executives from WBSEDC, SAIL (DSP) and Thermax were Yet, it was an event of the industry, for the industry and by the industry. the speakers. The Conclave enabled each participating organization and delegate with a unique opportunity to network with the thought leaders and The second day began with a brainstorming session on Energy Options other industry leaders in energy, power and environment and brought in India - Fossil Fuel and New and Renewable Sources, which was participants closer to their colleagues in industry, academia and the chaired by Prof. Sujay Basu, Former Director, School of Energy Studies, Government in discussing the implications of climate change and Jadavpur University. Prof. Basu gave an overview on the energy options related energy issues for industry. in India and what could be new technologies in this field. Thereafter, Shri S P Gon Choudhuri, Managing Director, West Bengal Green Energy Shri Anil Razdan, IAS, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry Development Corporation made a detailed presentation on renewable of Power and Dr. Kirit Parikh, Member, Planning Commission, along energy options. The other speakers (all top executives) were from with Shri Sunil Mitra, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Thermax Limited, Vestas Wind Technology India Pvt. Ltd., Selco West Bengal, were the Guests of Honour during the Inaugural session. International Limited, GP Green Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. and PTC India Dr. Parikh, the architect of the Integrated Energy Policy, was honoured Limited. They touched upon areas like Solar Energy - Heating & Cooling, by BCCI at the Conclave as the Energy Thought Leader of the Year for Opportunities in Renewable Energy, Waste to Energy, Biomass his pioneering contribution to the field of energy research and energy Gasification and Project Financing of RE Projects. policy in the country. The theme of the keynote address was, Climate Change and Indias Economic Development - The role of the Integrated Shri P. S. Bhattacharyya, Chairman, Coal India Limited, chaired the Energy Policy. In this session, the two stalwarts of the energy and following session, The Coal Story. The session visited different fields environment field largely talked about the efficiency issues in the related to Coal, e.g., New Coal Technologies, Challenges for Government departments, the private public partnerships in the area Development of Mining in India to cater to Utilities and Large Process of energy, how the Government could develop the overall situation Industries, Coal Beneficiation for Clean Technologies and Coal Bed by welcoming more MNCs in our country. Dr. Parikh, during his address, Methane. The speakers present in the session were senior executives mostly talked about Climate Change and its impact on environment from the EMTA Group of Companies, senior academics from Bengal and our economy at large, what should be the objective of all the Engineering and Science University, Shibpur and the Advisor-Projects, Governments to increase social well being, global environmental issues Ministry of Coal, Government if India. and goal of development conflict, range of commercial energy requirement and domestic production, Indias hydro carbon reserves, The concluding session was entitled Tomorrows Choice. Mr. Aloke renewable energy resources and most important the challenges of Mookherjea, Chairman, Flakt (India) Limited & Immediate Past the 11th Five Year Plan. President, BCCI chaired the session, which focused on the future path that one should follow given that Global Warming was a reality. Following the inauguration, the session on Climate Change and Industry - Impact and Measures was chaired by Shri Malay K De (IAS, The programme was attended by over 200 delegates and the Chamber Chairman & Managing Director, West Bengal State Electricity received compliments from all participants and sponsoring entities Distribution Company). The themes that were covered under this on organizing such a relevant programme, which focused on on-the- session were, Industrial Operations in the face of Climate Change - ground issues for industry. Environment and Energy Conclave 2008 22nd and 23rd August 2008, ITC Sonar, Kolkata Mr. Arun K Mukherjee, Co- Chairperson, Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, BCCI Left to right: Shri Anil Razdan, Union Power Secretary, Mr. S Radhakrishnan, President, BCCI and Dr. Kirit Parikh, Member, Planning Commission (with the silver salver presented to Dr. Parikh recognizing his pioneering contribution in energy research and energy policy Shri P S Bhattacharyya, Chairman, Coal India addressing the Conclave. Dr. Kalyan Sen, Professor Emeritus, BESU looks on Left to right: Prof. Sujay Basu, Shri S P Gon Choudhuri, MD, WB Green Energy Dev. Corp, Mr. M S Unnikrishnan, MD, Thermax A session in progress: Right to left: Shri Subhash Rustagi, EVP, EHS, ITC; Mr. Sudipta Das, Partner, Ernst & Young; Mr. Surojit Bose, Associate Director, PwC, Shri M K De, CMD, WBSEDC; Mr. Sanjoy Chakboborti, ED, CESC Mr. Aloke Mookherjea, Chairman, Flakt and Immediate Past President, BCCI The Conclave in progress Environment and Energy Conclave 2009 28th & 29th August 2009, ITC Sonar, Kolkata The Environment and Energy Conclave, the Bengal and Dr. R R Sonde, Chief Technology Officer and Chambers signature event and the only event of Executive Vice President Research, Technology & its reach and dimensions in the environment and Innovation, Thermax Limited. energy spheres in the Eastern Region, was organized by the Energy and Environment Sub-Committee of There were also speakers from Canada (presenting the Chamber on 28th and 29th August 2009 at the on fuel cell technology) and Germany (speaking on ITC Sonar, Kolkata. The Conclave was addressed by energy management by radio). There were many speakers who were the veritable whos who of the other topics and senior speakers from all over India environment and energy spheres from the worlds who addressed the Conclave. of policy, fundamental and applied research, technology and business. The theme of the Conclave The focus of this Conclave was to create a forum for was, Solutions for Building Competitive Advantage. the best minds in environment and energy to meet Shri Shyam Saran, Prime Ministers Special Envoy; and brainstorm on issues that were critical for Dr. Bikash Sinha, renowned scientist and Former industrial production and sustenance of business Director, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics and and the economy. Through such deliberations the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre and Mr. Sanjay Chamber endeavoured to create awareness on Mark Wadvani, Deputy High Commissioner of UK global environmental issues, discuss the importance in Kolkata addressed the inaugural session. Dr. R K of energy conservation and increasing process Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on efficiency as well as minimizing the climatic impact Climate Change and Director General, TERI made a of industrial operations while not deviating from video address. the profit motive. As part of the technical sessions, there was an Indeed, the Conclave was a most necessary event Industry Academia dialogue, a CEOs Roundtable for industry, Government and academia in the and a Talk Show on the future energy options and context of the present realities. The world is in the whether these would actually increase throes of a recession never before seen since the competitiveness and reduce Greenhouse Gas Great Depression of 1929. To make matters worse, emissions. Some of the speakers who addressed the threat of climate change is very real and its the Conclave were, Shri Partha S Bhattacharyya, impact would be most severely felt right